don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第7节

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the　devil　himself　that　put　into　his　head　tales　to　match　his　own
adventures；　for　now；　forgetting　Baldwin；　he　bethought　himself　of　the
Moor　Abindarraez；　when　the　Alcaide　of　Antequera；　Rodrigo　de　Narvaez；
took　him　prisoner　and　carried　him　away　to　his　castle；　so　that　when　the
peasant　again　asked　him　how　he　was　and　what　ailed　him；　he　gave　him　for
reply　the　same　words　and　phrases　that　the　captive　Abindarraez　gave
to　Rodrigo　de　Narvaez；　just　as　he　had　read　the　story　in　the　〃Diana〃　of
Jorge　de　Montemayor　where　it　is　written；　applying　it　to　his　own　case
so　aptly　that　the　peasant　went　along　cursing　his　fate　that　he　had　to
listen　to　such　a　lot　of　nonsense；　from　which；　however；　he　came　to
the　conclusion　that　his　neighbour　was　mad；　and　so　made　all　haste　to
reach　the　village　to　escape　the　wearisomeness　of　this　harangue　of
Don　Quixote's；　who；　at　the　end　of　it；　said；　〃Senor　Don　Rodrigo　de
Narvaez；　your　worship　must　know　that　this　fair　Xarifa　I　have　mentioned
is　now　the　lovely　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　for　whom　I　have　done；　am　doing；
and　will　do　the　most　famous　deeds　of　chivalry　that　in　this　world
have　been　seen；　are　to　be　seen；　or　ever　shall　be　seen。〃
　　To　this　the　peasant　answered；　〃Senor…　sinner　that　I　am！…　cannot　your
worship　see　that　I　am　not　Don　Rodrigo　de　Narvaez　nor　the　Marquis　of
Mantua；　but　Pedro　Alonso　your　neighbour；　and　that　your　worship　is
neither　Baldwin　nor　Abindarraez；　but　the　worthy　gentleman　Senor
Quixada？〃
　　〃I　know　who　I　am；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃and　I　know　that　I　may　be
not　only　those　I　have　named；　but　all　the　Twelve　Peers　of　France　and
even　all　the　Nine　Worthies；　since　my　achievements　surpass　all　that
they　have　done　all　together　and　each　of　them　on　his　own　account。〃
　　With　this　talk　and　more　of　the　same　kind　they　reached　the　village
just　as　night　was　beginning　to　fall；　but　the　peasant　waited　until　it
was　a　little　later　that　the　belaboured　gentleman　might　not　be　seen
riding　in　such　a　miserable　trim。　When　it　was　what　seemed　to　him　the
proper　time　he　entered　the　village　and　went　to　Don　Quixote's　house；
which　he　found　all　in　confusion；　and　there　were　the　curate　and　the
village　barber；　who　were　great　friends　of　Don　Quixote；　and　his
housekeeper　was　saying　to　them　in　a　loud　voice；　〃What　does　your
worship　think　can　have　befallen　my　master；　Senor　Licentiate　Pero
Perez？〃　for　so　the　curate　was　called；　〃it　is　three　days　now　since
anything　has　been　seen　of　him；　or　the　hack；　or　the　buckler；　lance；
or　armour。　Miserable　me！　I　am　certain　of　it；　and　it　is　as　true　as　that
I　was　born　to　die；　that　these　accursed　books　of　chivalry　he　has；　and
has　got　into　the　way　of　reading　so　constantly；　have　upset　his
reason；　for　now　I　remember　having　often　heard　him　saying　to　himself
that　he　would　turn　knight…errant　and　go　all　over　the　world　in　quest　of
adventures。　To　the　devil　and　Barabbas　with　such　books；　that　have
brought　to　ruin　in　this　way　the　finest　understanding　there　was　in
all　La　Mancha！〃
　　The　niece　said　the　same；　and；　more：　〃You　must　know；　Master
Nicholas〃…　for　that　was　the　name　of　the　barber…　〃it　was　often　my
uncle's　way　to　stay　two　days　and　nights　together　poring　over　these
unholy　books　of　misventures；　after　which　he　would　fling　the　book
away　and　snatch　up　his　sword　and　fall　to　slashing　the　walls；　and
when　he　was　tired　out　he　would　say　he　had　killed　four　giants　like　four
towers；　and　the　sweat　that　flowed　from　him　when　he　was　weary　he　said
was　the　blood　of　the　wounds　he　had　received　in　battle；　and　then　he
would　drink　a　great　jug　of　cold　water　and　become　calm　and　quiet；
saying　that　this　water　was　a　most　precious　potion　which　the　sage
Esquife；　a　great　magician　and　friend　of　his；　had　brought　him。　But　I
take　all　the　blame　upon　myself　for　never　having　told　your　worships
of　my　uncle's　vagaries；　that　you　might　put　a　stop　to　them　before
things　had　come　to　this　pass；　and　burn　all　these　accursed　books…　for
he　has　a　great　number…　that　richly　deserve　to　be　burned　like
heretics。〃
　　〃So　say　I　too；〃　said　the　curate；　〃and　by　my　faith　to…morrow　shall
not　pass　without　public　judgment　upon　them；　and　may　they　be
condemned　to　the　flames　lest　they　lead　those　that　read　to　behave　as　my
good　friend　seems　to　have　behaved。〃
　　All　this　the　peasant　heard；　and　from　it　he　understood　at　last　what
was　the　matter　with　his　neighbour；　so　he　began　calling　aloud；　〃Open；
your　worships；　to　Senor　Baldwin　and　to　Senor　the　Marquis　of　Mantua；
who　comes　badly　wounded；　and　to　Senor　Abindarraez；　the　Moor；　whom
the　valiant　Rodrigo　de　Narvaez；　the　Alcaide　of　Antequera；　brings
captive。〃
　　At　these　words　they　all　hurried　out；　and　when　they　recognised
their　friend；　master；　and　uncle；　who　had　not　yet　dismounted　from　the
ass　because　he　could　not；　they　ran　to　embrace　him。
　　〃Hold！〃　said　he；　〃for　I　am　badly　wounded　through　my　horse's　fault；
carry　me　to　bed；　and　if　possible　send　for　the　wise　Urganda　to　cure　and
see　to　my　wounds。〃
　　〃See　there！　plague　on　it！〃　cried　the　housekeeper　at　this：　〃did　not
my　heart　tell　the　truth　as　to　which　foot　my　master　went　lame　of？　To
bed　with　your　worship　at　once；　and　we　will　contrive　to　cure　you　here
without　fetching　that　Hurgada。　A　curse　I　say　once　more；　and　a
hundred　times　more；　on　those　books　of　chivalry　that　have　brought
your　worship　to　such　a　pass。〃
　　They　carried　him　to　bed　at　once；　and　after　searching　for　his
wounds　could　find　none；　but　he　said　they　were　all　bruises　from
having　had　a　severe　fall　with　his　horse　Rocinante　when　in　combat
with　ten　giants；　the　biggest　and　the　boldest　to　be　found　on　earth。
　　〃So；　so！〃　said　the　curate；　〃are　there　giants　in　the　dance？　By　the
sign　of　the　Cross　I　will　burn　them　to…morrow　before　the　day　over。〃
　　They　put　a　host　of　questions　to　Don　Quixote；　but　his　only　answer
to　all　was…　give　him　something　to　eat；　and　leave　him　to　sleep；　for
that　was　what　he　needed　most。　They　did　so；　and　the　curate　questioned
the　peasant　at　great　length　as　to　how　he　had　found　Don　Quixote。　He
told　him；　and　the　nonsense　he　had　talked　when　found　and　on　the　way
home；　all　which　made　the　licentiate　the　more　eager　to　do　what　he　did
the　next　day；　which　was　to　summon　his　friend　the　barber；　Master
Nicholas；　and　go　with　him　to　Don　Quixote's　house。

　　CHAPTER　VI
　　OF　THE　DIVERTING　AND　IMPORTANT　SCRUTINY　WHICH　THE　CURATE　AND　THE
BARBER　MADE　IN　THE　LIBRARY　OF　OUR　INGENIOUS　GENTLEMAN

　　HE　WAS　still　sleeping；　so　the　curate　asked　the　niece　for　the　keys　of
the　room　where　the　books；　the　authors　of　all　the　mischief；　were；　and
right　willingly　she　gave　them。　They　all　went　in；　the　housekeeper
with　them；　and　found　more　than　a　hundred　volumes　of　big　books　very
well　bound；　and　some　other　small　ones。　The　moment　the　housekeeper
saw　them　she　turned　about　and　ran　out　of　the　room；　and　came　back
immediately　with　a　saucer　of　holy　water　and　a　sprinkler；　saying；
〃Here；　your　worship；　senor　licentiate；　sprinkle　this　room；　don't　leave
any　magician　of　the　many　there　are　in　these　books　to　bewitch　us　in
revenge　for　our　design　of　banishing　them　from　the　world。〃
　　The　simplicity　of　the　housekeeper　made　the　licentiate　laugh；　and
he　directed　the　barber　to　give　him　the　books　one　by　one　to　see　what
they　were　about；　as　there　might　be　some　to　be　found　among　them　that
did　not　deserve　the　penalty　of　fire。
　　〃No；〃　said　the　niece；　〃there　is　no　reason　for　showing　mercy　to　any
of　them；　they　have　every　one　of　them　done　mischief；　better　fling
them　out　of　the　window　into　the　court　and　make　a　pile　of　them　and
set　fire　to　them；　or　else　carry　them　into　the　yard；　and　there　a
bonfire　can　be　made　without　the　smoke　giving　any　annoyance。〃　The
housekeeper　said　the　same；　so　eager　were　they　both　for　the　slaughter
of　those　innocents；　but　the　curate　would　not　agree　to　it　without　first
reading　at　any　rate　the　titles。
　　The　first　that　Master　Nicholas　put　into　his　hand　was　〃The　four　books
of　Amadis　of　Gaul。〃　〃This　seems　a　mysterious　thing；〃　said　the
curate；　〃for；　as　I　have　heard　say；　this　was　the　first　book　of　chivalry
printed　in　Spain；　and　from　this　all　the　others　derive　their　birth
and　origin；　so　it　seems　to　me　that　we　ought　inexorably　to　condemn　it
to　the　flames　as　the　founder　of　so　vile　a　sect。〃
　　〃Nay；　sir；〃　said　the　barber；　〃I　too；　have　heard　say　that　this　is　the
best　of　all　the　books　of　this　kind　that　have　been　written；　and　so；
as　something　singular　in　its　line；　it　ought　to　be　pardoned。〃
　　〃True；〃　said　the　curate；　〃and　for　that　reason　let　its　life　be　spared
for　the　present。　Let　us　see　that　other　which　is　next　to　it。〃
　　〃It　is；〃　said　the　barber；　〃the　'Sergas　de　Esplandian；'　the　lawful
son　of　Amadis　of　Gaul。〃
　　〃Then　verily；〃　said　the　curate；　〃the　merit　of　the　father　must　not　be
put　down　to　the　account　of　the　son。　Take　it；　mistress　housekeeper；
open　the　window　and　fling　it　into　the　yard　and　lay　the　foundation　of
the　pile　for　the　bonfire　we　are　to　make。〃
　　The　housekeeper　obeyed　with　great　satisfaction；　and　the　worthy
〃Esplandian〃　went　flying　into　the　yard　to　await　with　all　patience
the　fire　that　was　in　store　for　him。
　　〃Proceed；〃　said　the　curate。
　　〃This　that　comes　next；〃　said　the　barber；　〃is　'Amadis　of　Greece；'
and；　indeed；　I　believe　all　those　on　this　side　are　of　the　same　Amadis
lineage。〃
　　〃Then　to　the　yard　with　the　whole　of　them；〃　said　the　curate；　〃for
to　have　the　burning　of　Queen　Pintiqui